Battle goes on for village PO service

Villagers in Torrance are still no further forward in getting their post office service back - almost four months after it closed “temporarily”.

In June, the PO reassured residents it was “committed to retaining Post Office services in Torrance.”

The service located within the pharmacy on Main Street closed in the village after the local postmaster resigned. It was a lifeline for the many elderly residents who lived in the area, according to the village community council.

East Dunbartonshire MP John Nicolson, who has been backing villagers in their campaign to get the service re-established, said this week the present situation was “unacceptable.”

He added: “I share the frustration of the people of Torrance at the long delay in getting a post office re-opened.

“I have been pressurising Post Office Ltd into urgent action for Torrance.

“They assured me that they would do their upmost to find alternative arrangements for my constituents but several months have now passed and we are no further forward.

“This situation, unfortunately, was entirely predictable.

“The privatised Post Office pays so little now to village postmasters that there’s no incentive for anyone to take on the role and provide postal services locally.

“This is due to the privatisation decision taken by the previous Conservative LibDem coalition government.

“The privatised Post Office no longer sees itself as a community asset. No thought is given to the needs of the elderly or infirm who rely on post office services.

“Almost every week we read of more post offices closing. The franchise model is clearly not working in areas like Torrance and an alternative model must be found if we are to secure the future of the Post Office as a community asset for villages like ours.

“I have written to the Secretary of State in London to highlight the case of Torrance and ask for urgent action to address this clearly unacceptable situation.”